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100 Years – 100 Objects: Specimens of the Dooley-Selden Expedition

The Houston Museum of Natural Science was founded in 1909 – meaning that the curators of the Houston Museum of Natural Science have been collecting and preserving natural and cultural treasures for a hundred years now. For this yearlong series, our current curators have chosen one hundred exceptional objects from the Museum’s immense storehouse of specimens and artifacts—one for each year of our history. Check back here frequently to learn more about this diverse selection of behind-the-scenes curiosities—we will post the image and description of a new object every few days.

This description is fromDan, the museum’s curator of vertebrate zoology. He’s chosen a selection of objects that represent the most fascinating animals in the Museum’s collections, that we’ll be sharing here – andat 100.hmns.org– throughout the year.

The Dooley-Selden team led the first HMNS mounted expedition. In 1959, HMNS’ first Curator, Tom Dooley, was invited by Board Member Selden to collect specimens in the northern (Saharan) region of what was then Tanganyika (today Tanzania). The objective of the expedition was to collect specimens for exhibition at the museum. Nearly 100 specimens were collected, including a vast array of birds and ungulates (hoofed mammals), as well as a few carnivores and small mammals.

About Dan

As curator of vertebrate zoology, Dr. Brooks has more backbone(s) than anyone at the Museum! He is recognized internationally as the authority on Cracids - the most threatened family of birds in the Americas. With an active research program studying birds and mammals of Texas and the tropics, Brooks advises several grad students internationally.
At HMNS, Brooks served as project manager of the world-renowned Frensley-Graham Hall of African Wildlife, overseeing building by an incredibly diverse array of talent by some 50 individuals. He has also created and/or served as curator for various traveling exhibits, including "Cracids: on Wings of Peril".